Skirt.



No. 734,842. PATENTED JULY 28, 1903 G. V. & M. R. PRANKENBBRG.

SKIRT. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16,1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED "STATES ATENT Patented July 28, 1903.

Prion;

I CARE v. FRANKENBERG AND MARY R. FRANKENBERG, OF JACKSONVILLE,

I I I ILLINOIS.

SKIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 73%842, dated July 28, 1903.

. Application filed August 16, 1902. gerial No. 119,948. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

and we do declare the following to be a full, I

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanytating the provision of individual sizes.

ing drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Ladies and misses skirts inready-made garments are manufactured in stock sizes as to length and waist measure, thereby entailing considerable expense and requiring comparatively large space to carry a full assortment of sizes, or, if a few sizes only are carried in stock, time and expense are factors to be taken into account to fit aselected skirt to a particular form.

In accordance with this invention the skirts are finished in the prevailing or any selected style and with a waist and hip measure to meet ordinary requirements without necessi- The waistband is attached to the skirt and is adapted to be folded more or less to vary its length to different sizes of Waist measure. The folds of the waistband are inclined with referenceto the waist-line to increase or diminish'the hip measure. To vary the length of the skirt in the back, the waistband is similarly folded on opposite'sides of and adjacent to the median back line and refolded,

the first folds inclining away from said median line in one direction and the second folds inclining in an opposite direction toward said median line, the several folds being stitched or otherwise securely fastened.

I The invention will be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View showing my improved means for adj ustingthe waist measure of a "ready-to-wear skirt. Fig. 2' is a similar View showing the adjustment arranged to fit the skirt to abnormal hip measure' Fig.

skirt in the usual manner.

3 is a similar view showing the adjustment arranged to decrease the rear length of the skirt. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the manner of adjusting the skirt at the back and the placket being at a different point. Fig.5 is anenlarged detail view showing a waistband of thinner material than that of the skirt. Fig. 6 is a similar view,but showing a waistband constructed of thinner material at the ends.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a skirt of-the ready-to-wear pattern, wherein it is understood the skirt is designed to fit the normal form. For the sake of description we will assume that the waist measure of this skirt is thirty-six inches.

' 2 represents the waistband secured to the As the various adjustments to which we have heretofore referred are accomplished through the medium of this waistband, it is essential that the band 2 be ofsome strong thinpliable material.

Assuming that it is desired to fit a particular form of, say, twenty-four inches waist measure with the skirt described, the ends of the band adjacent the p1acket-opening of the skirt are folded upon themselves, forming folds 3, until sufficient of the band and skirt material has been taken up to reduce the original waist measure of the skirt to twentyfour inches-the size required for the particular form. The folds are then temporarily secured in place, as it is now necessary to fit the hips of the particular form. This is accomplished by raising or lowering the inner end 4: of each fold, which manipulation, as will be evident, decreases or increases the spread of material across the hip-line of the skirt.

This adjustment of the ends of the folds causes the material to be drawn in or extended across the hip-line, and a proper angular adjustment of the fold ends with reference to the waist-line will take up sufficient material to properly fit the hips of the particular form. The folds are formedon each side of a median line, one face of each of said folds being inclined in one direction away from the median line to fit the skirt to the hips, the other face of said fold being inclined in an opposite direction toward said median line to vary the length of the skirt in the back, The folds are then secured together, after the proper adjustment has been made, by any suitable means. As the folds are independent, they may be separately adjusted to fit the hips of the particular form, thus providing for an accurate fit even where the hips differ in size, as in the latter event the separate fold will be differently adjusted. After the various adjustments to adapt the skirt to the particular form the folds are securelystitched inplace to the band proper, as at 6. The folds, as the band is of very thin material, fit snugly to the band proper and practically adding no additional thickness thereto.

The skirt-fastening means, such as the hook and eye 7, is to be secured to the band at the folds 3 in the usual manner.

In Fig. 4we have represented the adjustment in the back of the skirt while the placket is at another point, either at the front or side. This arrangement permits the placket to be opened or closed irrespective of the adjustment feature, while the latter may be folded in and a much more neater appearance of the stitching is the result. Moreover, the plaits in the skirt may be shaped more to the fancy of the wearer than if hampered by the placket;

Fig. 5 represents a skirt which is of exactly the same pattern shown in Fig. 1 except that the band 2 is made of thinner material than the skirt. This affords a neat band when the folds are adjusted and stitched.

Fig. 6 is also of the same pattern shown in Fig. 1 except that the band 2 is made of material which is thinner at the ends where it is folded than its body portion. Like Fig.

5, this pattern permits of the folds being adjusted without making a clumsy and awk ward thickness when the skirt is adjusted.

From the above description it will be seen inches may be readily adjusted to fit any form with normal or abnormal hips and having any waist measure from twenty to thirty-six inches.

The folds in the garment below the waist-,

band may, if desired, assume the form of boxplaits, adding rather than detracting from the appearance of the skirt.

What we claim as new is In the art of dressmaking, a skirt, a waistband attached to the upper edge of the skirt, vertical folds in thewaistband adjacent to and upon opposite sides of a median back line, one face of each of said folds being inclined in one direction away from the median line to fit the skirt to the hips, the other face of said fold being inclined in an opposite direc tion toward said median line to vary the length of the skirt in the back, and means for securing said folds together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CARL V. FRANKENBERG. MARY R. FRANKENBERG.

Witnesses:

LENA O. ENGEL, ALICE A. MCAVOY.

50 a skirt having a waist measure of thirty six 

